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Place-making
through density, democracy and design
Ciarán
Cuffe
Biographical
details
Ciarán
Cuffe studied architecture and urban planning in Dublin and Venice. He is on
leave from his lectureship in urban planning at the Dublin Institute of
Technology. Twice elected to Dublin City Council in 1991 and 1999, he was
elected to Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament) in 2002, and represents the
constituency of Dún Laoghaire. A passionate urbanist, he has campaigned on
transport, planning and environmental issues.
Presentation
Synopsis
Full
Paper
New
housing areas are often criticized for being bland, anonymous and boring.
Increasing densities, design and democratic input in planning can create more
sustainable communities. Many developers and politicians have played safe by
agreeing to low density levels; by neglecting to promote good design; and by
failing to provide for community participation in the design process.
Building
at higher densities can assist in reducing the demand for new building land
beyond the city limits. Land that was previously unused or designated for
transportation facilities should be built on and can create high quality urban
spaces. The move towards building at higher densities requires a higher quality
of design of the built environment.
A gap
exists between the skills of architects and engineers who are skilled in
designing individual buildings, and town planners who consider larger areas.
Place-making
or urban and rural design is a skill that can knit together the skills of others
in order to make coherent places where people wish to live work and relax.
Civic
leadership is required by all those involved in the planning process in order to
create neighborhoods that our children will be proud of. Empowering communities
by involving them in the design process through the use of models and workshops
can establishes ownership of the end product. This consultation or dialogue can
enrich the planning process.
Slides of
Barcelona and Dublin shall be used to illustrate the Paper. |